Parish Newsletters
Feast of All Saints 31st Sunday of the Year (A)
1 listopada 2026
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
From the Society of St Gregory
Since the summer and the Solemnity of the Assumption the Liturgy has provided us with many models of sainthood and holiness.
Today it is our turn: we are all called to be saints. Although many of us will never be officially recognised by the Church as Saints, canonised by a Pope in front of a vast crowd, our Baptismal calling to this goal is no less ours. May we draw inspiration from the lives and faith of the saints as we continue to struggle to be faithful and loving members of the Christian family.
30th Sunday of the Year (A)
25 października 2026
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
From the Society of St Gregory
Jesus responds to difficult questions with surprising answers, such as the ones recounted in today’s Gospel. He took two parts of the Old Testament Law, love of God and neighbour and by joining them together made them a new teaching, calling them the basis for the whole Law.
29th Sunday of the Year (A)
18 października 2026
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
From Society of St Gregory
The task of the Church in her teaching role is to apply the perennially valid Word of God to the changing circumstances of people’s lives. The problem is determining just what a particular Scripture passage means nearly two thousand years after it was originally spoken or written down.
28th Sunday of the Year (A)
11 października 2026
THOUGHTS FOR THIS WEEKEND
From Sourcebook for Sundays and Seasons
In today’s Gospel the parable about the banquet bears similarities to last weekend’s about the vineyard. Those invited do not come and the invitation is extended to others. Under the parable lies the accusation against the religious leaders of that day, that they had had the opportunity to accept Jesus, but they had squandered it. The reign of God will open to more than the chosen people with whom God inaugurated the Covenant.
The Parish of Haigh, Aspull & Blackrod
Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception was founded in the mid 1850's and is part of the R.C. Diocese of Salford. The Church was blessed and opened in 1858, the year of the apparitions of Our Lady at Lourdes. The Church was re-ordered in the 1990's and several new stained-glass windows were installed, some made in Blackrod, and are an interesting feature of the Church.
Holy Family Parish, New Springs, was funded from Our Lady's in 1898 and in 2009 clebrated the Golden Jubilee of its Church. The community of Blackrod, Bolton, had a chapel-of-ease from 1960 to 2009 when St. Andrews Church Hall was closed.
All three areas - Haigh & Aspull, Blackrod and New Springs are now served from Our Lady's.
Rev Kevin Foulkes
48 Haigh Road
Aspull
Wigan WN2 1YA
TEL: 01942 516732
Mass Times
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
6.00pm
9.30am
11.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
9.15am
11.00am
Haigh
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Holy Family
Haigh
Haigh
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday
11:30 - 12 noon
As announced
Haigh
Holy Family
A Parish History ~ 1858-2018
Mr Livesey & Mr West have worked with local parishioners to produce a book about the history of our parish and school, they have kindly allowed us to reproduce an electronic version of their book, available on the Parish Page, CLICK HERE to read it.
If you would like to purchase a hard copy of the book CLICK HERE
Forward...
It is a privilege and honour to write the forward to the Parish History of Our Lady’s Parish, on its 160th Anniversary.
It has also been a privilege and honour, and a pleasure, to serve as Our Lady’s Parish Priest since 1997 – following in the footsteps of my twenty-six predecessors.
Saint Peter writes ‘He is the living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him; set yourselves close to him so that you too, the holy priesthood that offers the spiritual sacrifices which Jesus Christ has made acceptable to God, may be living stones making a spiritual house.’ (Peter 2:3-5)
We are the living stones of this Christian community – commissioned as ‘missionary disciples’ to be Christ’s ‘ambassadors’ (St. Paul Cor. 5:20) in loving witness, worship and service to our community.
There have been many changes over these 160 years – in the Church, Society, Education and the design of Our Lady’s Church. The priests and people of Our Lady’s Parish have experienced many joyful family and Parish celebrations but also wars, peace, poverty and economic depressions, through twelve Pontificates and six Reigns – and we too are facing a challenging time for the Catholic Church. Blessed John Henry, Cardinal Newman wrote that ‘To live is to change and to be perfect is to have changed often’.
And so, building on and celebrating our heritage – the stones of Our Lady’s Church, and the ‘living stones’ of our dedicated, faithful and often courageous priests, parishioners and teachers in our Parish School we can face the future with confidence. We do so knowing that Jesus, Our Risen Lord, has promised to be with his Church forever. (Matthew 28:20)
I commend this publication to be read and enjoyed by everyone.
Many thanks to Phil Livesey and Neil West for their initiative to begin and to bring this book to completion and to all who have collaborated with them, with their own very interesting and often amusing memories! God bless you all.
Fr Kevin C. Foulkes